Senior Director, R&D Management, Specialty Chemicals - Ambler, PA, United States

Originally posted 9 October 2026 by the employer.

Focus on Specialty Chemicals for advanced technology applications including Life Sciences and Advanced Catalysts.

About the role

This role leads the Specialty Chemicals R&D organization, bridging R&D roadmaps, Synthesis R&D, and commercial manufacturing. This includes developing and scaling differentiated materials for various advanced technology applications.

What you'll do

• Lead and develop the Specialty Chemicals R&D organization for synthesis scale-up, sample fulfillment, manufacturing readiness, and strategic synthesis technology development.
• Translate Materials Solutions technology needs into executable Specialty Chemicals development programs.
• Establish robust synthesis scale-up practices that improve process safety, yield, quality, cost, manufacturability, and transfer efficiency.
• Support customer-facing technical engagement to connect Specialty Chemicals capabilities with qualification needs and application requirements.
• Build reliable sample fulfillment processes for internal validation, application testing, customer sampling, and qualification activities.
• Mentor and develop technical talent, strengthening organizational depth in synthesis, process development, scale-up, and manufacturing readiness.

What you'll need

• Advanced technical degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, or related field.
• Extensive senior leadership experience in specialty chemicals, semiconductor materials, advanced materials, synthesis, process development, or scale-up.
• Proven ability to build technical organizations and translate business needs into executable development programs.
• Core competencies in synthetic chemistry leadership, process development, scale-up strategy, manufacturing readiness, customer sample fulfillment, and technology transfer.
• Ability to connect technical capabilities to customer engagement, manufacturing readiness, revenue growth, and margin impact.
• Experience identifying external applications, market adjacencies, technology partnerships, or commercialization pathways for specialty chemical platforms.

Skills: specialty chemicals, synthesis scale-up, manufacturing readiness, process development, materials science